Flying-machine.



R. M. SMITH.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.13, 1900.

1,118,881. Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

2 8HEET8-SHBET 1.

R. M. SMITH.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEBJS, 1909, 1 1 1 8 881 Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

2 SHEETH-SHBET 2.

fll K620166000? (18 0 %12; v 7

puirnn STATES PATENT orFioE.

REXIFORD M. SMITH, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 CONNECTICUT AIRCRAFT COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CON- NECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Application filed February 13, 1908. Serial No. 477,677.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, Rnxrono M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a certain new and useful Flying-lilachine, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to flying machines of the aeroplane or heavier than air type, the object of the invention being to provide a machine of the class described in which provision is made in a practical and reliable manner for maintaining the oise or balance or equilibrium of the machine both while moving in the normal direction of travel and while descending after stopping the motor and propelling mechanism, thus rendering it safe to descend at any time in case of accident to the motor or any part of the propelling mechanism resulting in the stoppage of the impeller of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of aeroplane embodymg a plurality of lifting surfaces. Such plane may be all in one or embody a plurality of sections each embodying a lifting surface and arranged one in advance of another.

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the aeroplane sections as to provide for a reliable poise of the machine both while moving and at rest; also to combine with the lifting plane or lanes, one or more poising planes which per orm their function when the forward rogress of the machine is arrested, as by tie stoppage of the propeller from any cause.

A further object of the invention is to provide one or more lateral balancing and steering planes or rudders which occupy a normally horizontal position but which are adapted to be tilted to offer the necessary resistance to cause the machine to describe an arc, whereby the direction of movement of the machine may be controlled.

A further object of the invention is to provide in connection with the steering planes or rudders. and the ascending and descending plane or planes, a single controlling element by means of which the aviator may cause the machine to rise or descend or turn either to the right or to the left.

W'ith the above and other objects in view the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combina' tion and arrangement of parts herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawin Figure 1 s a plan view of a flying machine embody mg the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same. Fig. 3 1s a vertical cross section thereof taken just in rear of the ascending and descending planes. Figs. 4 to 14 both inclusive, are diagrams illustrating side edge views of various forms of lifting planes embodying a plurality of lifting surfaces. Fig. 15 is an enlarged detail view partly in section of the control.

In the )referred embodiment of the invention, the machine comprises in connection with a suitable frame work, upper and lower aeroplanes or as they may be termed lifting planes as their principal function is to provide the necessary res stance to effect a lifting of the machine as it is propelled through the air. These u per and lower aeroplanes are best shown in igs. '2 and 3 and in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper lifting plane and the lower lifting plane are both made up of sections, the upper plane comprising fore and aft sections 1 and 2 respectively, and the lower plane embodying corresponding fore and aft sections 3 and 4 respectively.

As shown in Fig. 2, the forward section of each plane has its forward portion upwardly deflected as shown at 5, the remainder of the plane being substantially flat and horizontally disposed when the machine is in motion. The rear plane has its rear portion downwardly deflected as shown at 6 while the remaining portion of the lane is substantially flat and horizonta 1y disposed. The upwardly deflected forward ortion 5' and the downwardl deflected portion 6 constitute lifting sur aces the current of air striking a ainst the undersides of the aero plane sections offering the necessary resistance in connection with the liftin surfaces 5 and 6 to correspondingly and simultaneously move the said aeroplane sections upward or ive the same an upward tendency in accor anoe with' the speed at which the machine is propelled. It is also preferred to slant or pitch the opposite wing portions of the aeroplane sections from the center of the machine upward toward their outer Patented Nov. 24, 1914..

sist of lore and aft sections as shown inrll ig.

2, both oi such sections may he combined in one as illustrated in Fig. l, 7 designating such a plane which has at its forward end an upwardly deflected lilting portion 8 and at rear end a downwardly deflected lifting portion. 9. The plane may alsohe, divided into lore and sections asshown in Fig. 5, each section it) oi which embodies an upwardly deflect/ed forward lilting portion 11 and downwardly deflected lilting portion id, instead oil deflecting the rear portions of the sections downward as shown in F ig. 5, such rearportions may also be deflected upward as shown at 13 in' Fig. 6, the forward portions it: heing deflected upwardly to form lifting surfaces and the intermediate or loody portions 15 out the sections heing substantially instead of two sections as shown in Fig. 6 three of such sections may he employed shown in Fig. 7. Three or .llllllififififilllflllS to similar to the sections shown in Fig. may he employed as shown in Fig. 8 and these sections ma he united or joined together hy a top i at connecting plane it or loy hers lll place of the plane it. ln stead of connecting the planes it) in the manner shown in li ig. & said planes may he pro vided with overlapping extensions 1? as shown in l). Carrying out the idea oi providin each aeroplane or aeroplane sections wide front and rear lilting surfaces, the some may he constructed as indicated in wherein l have shown. an aeroplane section 18 having a forward lifting surface it) curved from the extreme front edge of inainhody of the plane downward and a rear lifting surface 26 formed by deilecting the rear edge of the plane downward. instead oi extending the trout lilting surface downward from the hody of the plane as shown in lll, forward lilting surface may he extended upward f om the hody oi the plane as shown at 21 in Fig. ll.

The lirting surface of the aeroplane section may al o he detached or disconnected troin the main hody 22 of the plane as shown in and disposed as shown at 23. @r said rear lifting suri 'ace oi the plane may he forward edge to the'hody oi plane 22 as shown at 24. it is also con templated to hinge the rear lilting surface "*tion of the plane 22 to the rear edge oil rnaln. hody of the plane as indicated in to provide means for normally h lding the said rear lilting portion in the position shown in Fig. while i the id portion to he released y .dllldldltfi amt no may more Lllthtdd'l upward to a limited extent until it occupies the dottedline position shown in Fig. it when the plane as a whole will assume the same form as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7.

lit will thus he seen that in all of the forms of the lifting plane, or liltin plane sections, provision is made for obtaining a double lift or in other words a lifting surface is provided at the {front and also at the back thus causing each plane or plane section to maintain its own poise or equilibrium. This etlect is greatly enhanced by arranging the aeroplane sections at a suitable distance in advance of one anotherso as to leave an intervening space or spaces which will permit the air after acting upon the lifting surfaces of the plane sections to escape upward and allow the succeeding current to act with equal efiect upon the lifting surfaces.

Vfhere the aeroplane sections are arranged with an intervening space hetween them as shown in Fig. 2 "for example, poising planes 25 may be placed between the lifting plane sections as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and the opposite wing portions of the poising plane will he slanted upward and outward to a greater degree than the lifting plane thereby adding greatly to the ca-pahi ity of the machine lor automatically maintaining its equilibrium in the air. The poising plane or planes 25 are used principally for balancing the machine when the power is cut oil so as to cause the machine to float to the earth without careening or listing to any material or dangerous extent. The said poising planes are disposed edgewise horizontally so that in the forward movement of the machine, they will otter no resistance, the function of said planes being brought into play only when descendingi The frame of the machine is shownas comprising runners 26 which form a rest ior the machine while in contact with the ground. To the upturned forward extremities of the runners are connected the ascending and descending planes and while one oi such planes may suhiced have illustrated a pair of planes, the upper ascending and descending plane heing indicated at 2'? and the lower plane heing indicated at 28. These planes will ordinarily he pivotally connected at 29 to the extensions of the frame or runners and one of the trainee will he provided with a lever arm Zlll to which is pivotally connected the forward extremity oi a connecting rod ill, the rear extremity of which is pivots connected at 32 to a lug on a sleeve or loose collar 33 within which the steering post oi the control is adapted to turn, the collot or sleeve 33 heing confined hetween tired collars or shoulders 35 on the steering post. The post is shown as provided at its vupper end with hand wheel 36 while'the lower the poet jouinaled in hearing ltll llll

ill!

step 37 pivoted on a horizontal axis to the frame as indicated at 38 to enable the wheel 36 to bemoved forward or backward in order to correspondingly move the connecting rod 31 and thereby tilt the planes 2? and 28, the said planes being connected for simultaneous movement by means of pivotal stanchions or bars 39.

Mounted fast upon the steering ost 34 is a drum or pulley 40 adapted to receive and operate steering connections 41 which lead off in opposite directions to the lever arms 42, of the steering planes or rudders 43. These rudders or steering planes, as shown in Fig. 1, are normally disposed horizontally and edgewise to the air current and between the fore and aft aeroplane or lifting plane sections. They are also located by preferonce at the extreme outer edges of the aeroplane as a whole and are adapted to turn on an axis which lies in front of the center of the planes thereby rendering the planes selfbalancing so that in the forward movement of the machine the action of the air current thereon will preserve the horizontality of the planes. Either one of said planes may however,be tilted to form a resisting medium and this will act as a hold back for one side or the other of the machine, the resistance of the air against the tilted steering plane or rudder being thus utilized to cause the machine to turn to the right or left in accordance with the steering plane or rudder which is so tilted, it being understood that by tilting one of the steering planes and not disturbing the other steering plane, the tilted plane will offer a resistance to the forward movement of that side of the machine, thereby holding back such side and allowing the other side to move forward with greater rapidity, thereby effecting a turning or steering of the machine as a whole. In turning the post 34, one of the connections 41 is pulled and the other slacked, thus deflecting one steering plane without affecting the other.

I prefer to locate the motor 44 well down and preferably under the deck 45 of the machine and transmit motion to the propeller shaft 46 by a chain 47 or its equivalent extending from the motor shaft to the propcller shaft, 1 also prefer to use a single propeller 48 directly on the end of the propeller shaft and centrall of the back of the machine. By means 0 the control above described it will be understood that the aviator, by means of a single controlling element, may 0 erate both the ascending and descendin p anes and the steering or rudder planes. 'l he connections 41 are preferably so arranged that by turning the wheel 36 to the right, the machine will turn in the corresponding direction and by turning the wheel to the left, the machinewlll be directed to the left. By carrying the wheel 36 forward, the

plane having win plane or planes 2? and 28 will be tilted so as to cause the machine to ascend and by moving the wheel 36 backward, said plane or planes will be reversel tilted so as to cause the machine to descen I claim:

' 1. In a flying machine, an aeroplane comprising fore-and-aft sections, the body portions and adjacent ed es of which are in substantially the same orizontal plane, one section having an upwardly deflected lifting surface 1 ing wholly above the body )ortion of sai section and the other section aving a downwardly deflected lifting surface lying wholly below the body portion of said section.

2. In a flying machine, an aeroplane comprising a body portion havin its lead and trail edges bent or deflecte respectively upwardly and downwardly at an acute angle to and above and below the plane of said body portion, the body portion being of materially greater fore-and-aft dimensions than the said bent or deflected edges thereof.

3. In a flying machine, fore and aft sustaining planes each having a dihedral angle, and an intermediate poismg plane inclined to the plane of the sustaining planes.

4. In a flying machine, fore and aftsustaining planes each having a dihedral .angle, and a fixed intermediate poising plane having a dihedral angle of greater pitch than the sustaining planes.

5. In a flying machine, sustaining surfaces arranged one in rear of the other and spaced to provide an intervening gap, stabilizing planes arranged at the extremities of the gap between said sustaining surfaces, and means for controlling said stabilizing planes. 0

(5. In a flying machine, sustaining surfaces arranged one in rear of the other and spacedto provide an intervening gap, vertically movable stabilizing planes mounted at the extremities of the gap to swing on horizontal axes, and means for swinging said lanes.

7 n a flying machine, a sup orting surface comprising a sustaining p ane having dihedrally inclined wings, and a poising normally arranged out of horizontal an vertical alinement with the wings of the sustaining plane and inclined at a greater dihedral angle.

8. In a flying machine, a supporting surface com using a sustaining plane, and a poising p ane, said poising plane embodying wings ofl'set vertically and horizontally from the win of the sustaining plane and normally inclined at a fixed angle thereto.

9. In a flying machine, a supporting surface comprising a sustaining plane and a poising plane, said planes being arranged out of horizontal and vertical alinement, the

sustaining plane having its wings set at a 1::

slight dihedral angle iindi the poieing plane having its Wings normally set at e, greater dihedral angle.

10. ln o flying machine, on aeroplane comprising it body portion having on upturned front edge and o downtnrneel rear edge, said body portion being oat inemtiollygteoter tore-oncl-zift dimensions tlion soitl edges, each oat said edges being loent enbstontiiilly on oblique tingle to the lonely portion, the latter being arranged to lie on n line intermedintely loetween end parallel with liorizontol plnnes passing through the extreme free edges of the sztiol upturned front portion ontl downturned portion.

In testimony whereof I nilix my signature in presence of two Witnesses REXFQRD M. SMll'lllll.

llitnesses DAVKD Wu Gomm (L n. W 

